Woman accused of baby’s death at Houston gas station, arrested at border, authorities say

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (KTRK) — An arrest has been made in a monthslong investigation into the death of an infant found inside a gas station restroom in southwest Houston, according to authorities.

The arrest, which involves migrant Mexican national Guadalupe Zavala Lopez, took place on Tuesday at a Brownsville, Texas, bus station, where multiple law enforcement officers, including those from two different Border Patrol stations, moved in.

Authorities said Zavala Lopez is charged with tampering with evidence-a human corpse and will be extradited to Harris County.

“The suspect is identified by agents as a migrant who overstayed her visitor visa and was successfully taken into custody,” the agency wrote.

In a news release, Border Patrol confirmed the 25-year-old’s connection to the Houston area.

“Agents are actively collaborating with other federal agencies and the Houston, TX Police Department to have the suspect extradited to Harris County in connection to an on-going homicide investigation,” the agency added in the release.

ABC13 reached out to both the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector and the Houston Police Department. The Border Patrol referred to its news release and HPD for all other case information.

THE CASE

Zavala Lopez is reportedly tied to an April 2023 investigation in which an unknown Hispanic woman went into the restroom at a gas station at 13114 South Post Oak Road, and left about 15 minutes later.

Authorities said it would be hours until a customer found the baby in the bathroom.

Paramedics responded to the scene and attempted to provide medical assistance but determined the baby had been dead for hours before being discovered, HPD said.

Investigators did not say exactly how old they believe the baby was. The cause of death is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.